UK’s large pharmacy chain Boots‘ own product, No 7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum. Stocks of the cream immediately sold out and since then 50,000 women have signed up to waiting lists, after the broadcast of BBC’s science documentary series Horizon in 2005, featuring a study which revealed it could make the skin look younger. In 2007, a richer version Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum went on sale. This moisturiser is said to stimulate the production of fibrillin-1, a protein that promotes elasticity in the skin which is lost with sun damage, and reduce wrinkles (BBC news).

The cream costs reasonably £20.50 (30ml), in compare to the equivalent product from luxury beauty brands. So I recommended my mother to use it. She believes that it has improved her skin (she is an outdoor type and has quite a lot of wrinkles from sunburn), and has been using it for few years now. She asked me to buy more yesterday, and I got free gift with spending of £22 or more (Boots.com says over £20) on selected No 7 products. This promotional small black cosmetic bag contains 7 mini-size No 7 products: Intense Beauty Serum, hand cream, day cream, lip gloss, mascara, eye pencil and eye shadow – perfect size for travel, and I will keep it (without telling my mom).

ShortList is a free weekly magazine launched in September 2007, targeting young professional males. The magazine is founded by Mike Soutar, former editor-in-chief of FHM in UK and Maxim in the US as its CEO. It is handed out every Thursday at around train and Underground stations and bus terminals in main UK cities, and can be also be picked up at NCP car parks, airports and French Connection stores and sports/health clubs. Shortlist boasts over half a million circulation, and is the biggest-circulation men’s lifestyle magazine in UK.

Shortlist is a lightweight magazine with only 60 pages (this issue’s case), but concisely deals with topics that young men like, such as sport, TV, cars, movies, gadgets, fashion and men’s beauty products. The good point is no nudity and no young women in underwear or bikini, so that you can read in public space without feeling embarrassed. The bad point is advertisements that occupy half of the magazine and it is kind of hard to find an article buried in a flood of advertisements, as the magazine is free and obviously relies on income from advertisers. But with its sophisticated layout and tasteful articles make it easy and fun to read in a train or bus.

For women, there is a sister magazine called Stylist(web version is at Stylist.co.uk), talking about anything women love – fashion, travel, interviews, beauty and cosmetics, restaurants, cooking etc as well.